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"THE BRAVE ONE" (2007) (Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Extreme Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Extreme None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Moderate Extreme Heavy Extreme QUICK TAKE: Drama/Suspense: After surviving a random attack that killed her fiancé, a radio personality becomes a vigilante and thus draws the attention of a local detective who's determined to find and stop the killer. PLOT: Erica Bain (JODIE FOSTER) is a NYC radio personality who hosts a program called "Street Walk" where she records and then comments on the sounds of the world's "safest big city." Her world is turned upside down, however, when some punks attack her and her fiancé, David (NAVEEN ANDREWS), killing him, and leaving her severely wounded. After her body heals, however, she's still suffering mentally, a pointed noted by her radio station boss, Carol (MARY STEENBURGEN). Accordingly, and frustrated by the police getting nowhere catching the killers, Erica takes matters into her own hands by illegally purchasing a handgun. When she's in the wrong place at the wrong time, she ends up shooting and killing a distraught husband who's just murdered his wife, and then later does the same to two punks who rob a young man and harass her on a subway. Careful not to be identified, Erica's actions not only draw the attention of the press who deem that there's a vigilante at work, but also detectives Mercer (TERRENCE HOWARD) and Vitale (NICKY KATT). A by-the-books cop, Mercer has been trying to nail a criminal for years and is worried about the safety of that man's stepdaughter. Nevertheless, his attention shifts due to the recent murders. In a strange twist of fate, he and Erica become unlikely friends, a development that means it's only a matter of time before her continued vigilantism draws him to her, something she secretly desires as she begins her quest to find and kill David's killers. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? They might if they're fans of anyone in the cast or vigilante-based stories. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong violence, language and some sexuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JODIE FOSTER plays a NYC radio personality whose life is upended and changed forever when some punks attack her and kill her fiancé. Shell-shocked and then angry after that, she becomes a vigilante, killing various criminals and punks, torn between the vindictive pleasure of doing so and the guilt that all of that causes for her. She smokes, briefly drinks, uses profanity, and has sex with her live-in fiancé. TERRENCE HOWARD plays a detective who's trying to nail one seemingly untouchable suspect when his focus then turns to the vigilante killings. As he comes to know and befriend Erica, he also becomes suspicious of her and must then decide what to do. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks. NICKY KATT plays his cop partner who assists on the cases and occasionally delivers various wisecracks. NAVEEN ANDREWS plays Erica's fiancé who's murdered early in the film. He has sex with her. MARY STEENBURGEN plays Erica's boss at the radio station who worries about her state of mind, but allows her to do a show on what happened to her as well as the vigilante since both have resulted in good ratings. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this dramatic thriller that's been rated R. Profanity consists of at least 47 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as are several scenes depicting sexual behavior (sucking on a bare breast, implied oral sex, etc.). Violence consists of various people being killed by various means (mostly gunfire, but also a severe beating and a fall) and all of that has varying degrees of bloodiness. Those scenes and moments of peril might be suspenseful or unsettling for viewers, while the vigilantism and other behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while tense family material involves a woman dealing with her fiancé's murder. Brief drug use (pot) occurs (and another scene might show other drug use), while smoking and drinking also occur. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's all sorts of camera movement (handheld, spin-around shots, angled views, etc.) that might induce that reaction in sensitive viewers. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Erica records some narration for her show, including what sounded like something about someone spewing beer. Erica and others have wine at a reception. A punk drinks from a bottle of liquor (this is seen again later in flashback). Mercer has a drink in a bar, as do others. He orders one for his ex-wife, but then rescinds that request when she says she won't be having any. We see beer in a convenience store. Miscellaneous people drink in a club. Mercer says that the man he's after imports drugs, guns and people. A man dips what looks like a sponge into some sort of liquid and then squeezes that into his mouth (possibly alcohol or drug related). We see a young man smoking pot. There's a brief comment about "crack-heads." A miscellaneous man drinks out of a brown paper bag on the street. BLOOD/GORE After Erica and David are attacked, we then sees clips of them being transported on gurneys and then in the ER/surgery where both are heavily bruised and bloodied all over their bodies. We see a dead woman with a graphic and bloody gunshot wound to her head. After the attack, Erica's face is heavily bruised and looks quite bad. Erica is in a convenience store when the clerk's distraught and disturbed husband (or ex) walks in and shoots the woman in the chest many times, killing her (with bloody results). Erica tries to hide, but her ringing cell phone gives up her location. When she sees him through a shelf, she opens fire with her handgun, hitting him several times, killing him (also with bloody results on him and the floor behind him). Erica shoots two punks dead, with bloody results on them and the subway car behind them (splatter). We later see the dead and still bloody bodies again. Erica vomits after killing two punks. A woman's pants-covered leg is bloody as is her nose after a man hits her with his car. A man is bloody after Erica shoots him dead, while Erica has a dab of blood on her cheek (that a neighbor woman initially mistakes for lipstick). We see a dead and partially twisted dead man on some steps (at night, following a long fall from above), and there's blood on his head, clothes, and the stairs beneath him. Erica has a bad arm wound from where a man hit her with a tire iron (a neighbor stitches her up, but we see the large cut and accompanying blood). We then see the neighbor wiping up the blood in the stairwell where she found Erica. We see a woman (from earlier in the film) who has bruises and dried cuts on her face. Erica shoots a punk in the eye (with bloody results) and then another in the body (also with bloody results). Moments later, she shoots a third in the mouth (also with bloody results). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Some punks take the couple's dog, harass and then attack them, severely wounding Erica and murdering David, with one person videotaping the attack for fun. Mercer worries about a young girl who's now stuck with her stepfather who Mercer believes killed the girl's mother and more. He asks the girl if her stepdad hurt her mom, but they're interrupted by the stepfather who arrives and must be restrained by other cops. A man illegally sells Erica a handgun and bullets (after she balks at the waiting period in a regular gun shop). She then uses that gun to take the law into her own hands and kill various thugs, criminals and the like. Erica is in a convenience store when the clerk's distraught and disturbed husband (or ex) walks in and shoots the woman in the chest many times, killing her (with bloody results). Erica then kills the killer to protect herself, but then takes the convenience store surveillance tape to protect her identity from the police. Two punks on a subway harass a young man (calling him a "f*cking faggot") and then rob him of his personal audio device. That young man exits the car, leaving only Erica on it with the punks who aren't happy to see the way she looks at them. They then go over and harass her, with one pulling a knife and running it close along her neck. She then suddenly pulls her handgun and shoots both punks dead, with bloody results on them and inside the subway car. Mercer says that the man he's after imports drugs, guns and people. Erica pulls her gun on a pervert in the front seat of a parked car (while in the backseat with a drugged teen girl the man has apparently abducted) after the pervert grabs the young woman's arm and causes her pain. The two women get out and walk away, followed by the man trying to drive over them, and Erica shoots him dead. Erica has a bad arm wound from where a man hit her with a tire iron (a neighbor stitches her up, but doesn't call the police and even wipes up the blood in the stairwell where she found Erica. A female sketch artist tries to get a young man to describe a woman's face he earlier saw (with none of them knowing it's Erica). The young man doesn't take it seriously and comments on the woman having a nice "ass" and small but nice breasts, "Like Kate Moss' t*tties." Erica bribes a pawnshop man to get info on one of his customers. Mercer breaks the cop rules by having a friend in the department trace Erica's previous phone calls and the location from where they were made. Spoiler Alert: Mercer gives Erica his gun to use to kill a punk (she does, shooting him in the mouth), and then has her shoot him in the chest (away from the heart) with the suspect's gun, thus freeing her of suspicion. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Erica and David's dog doesn't return from a tunnel in a park at night, so they go to look for him, only to find some punks holding him by his leash. The punks then surround and circle the couple, harassing them. This continues until David punches one, followed by that punk and others beating both him and Erica. They hit David repeatedly with a rod or stick of some sort, while also punching Erica and throwing her hard into the tunnel's wall. We then see her POV as one stomps down onto her face, knocking her out. We then sees clips of them being transported on gurneys and then in the ER/surgery where both are heavily bruised and bloodied all over their bodies. Erica is in a convenience store when the clerk's distraught and disturbed husband (or ex) walks in and shoots the woman in the chest many times, killing her (with bloody results). Erica tries to hide, but her ringing cell phone gives up her location. The man then tries to hunt her down, as Erica tries to avoid him, leading to some cat and mouse moments in the store and its aisles. When she sees him through a shelf, she opens fire with her handgun, hitting him several times, killing him (also with bloody results on him and the floor behind him). Two punks on a subway harass a young man (calling him a "f*cking faggot") and then rob him of his personal audio device. That young man exits the car, leaving only Erica on it with the punks who aren't happy to see the way she looks at them. They then go over and harass her, with one pulling a knife and running it close along her neck. She then suddenly pulls her handgun and shoots both punks dead, with bloody results on them and inside the subway car. Erica nearly returns to the park of her earlier attack, but then decides against that. Erica pulls her gun on a pervert in the front seat of a parked car (while in the backseat with a drugged teen girl) after the pervert grabs the young woman's arm and causes her pain. The two women get out and walk away, followed by the man trying to drive over them, but Erica shoots the man dead through the windshield. Nevertheless, his car hits the young woman and flips her over before crashing. We then see the woman's pants-covered leg that's bloody just like her nose. Erica tries to confess to her crimes at a police station, but miscommunication frustrates her and she leaves. Mercer waits for a person she's been told is bad (and presumably killed his wife), rides an elevator with him, and then follows him to his car on the top floor of a parking garage at night. She then confronts the man, but when she reaches for her gun, he bashes her arm with a tire iron. She then head-butts the man, knocking him backwards, and the next thing we see is him lying dead on some steps far below. Mercer takes Erica to see if she can get a young female witness to talk about a murder, with Erica initially unaware that it's a woman who could identify her (Mercer doesn't know of that connection). Mercer has Erica come down to the station to try to identify the thug who attacked her and David. Some viewers might be concerned about Erica (despite her now being a killer) when it appears that Mercer is on to her and is trying to find proof of her involvement in the murders. Gun drawn, Erica stalks the punk who wounded her and killed David (at night, down alleys and such). She ends up shooting one punk in the eye (with bloody results), and then another in the back, but can't locate the killer moments later before he hits her on the back and then holds a tire iron or rod around her neck. Mercer then arrives and holds his gun on the punk, making him stop but also allowing Erica to aim her gun at the punk. Mercer then aims his gun at her, telling her to back down. Spoiler Alert: Mercer gives Erica his gun to use to kill a punk (she does, shooting him in the mouth), and then has her shoot him in the chest (away from the heart) with the suspect's gun, thus freeing her of suspicion. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Knives: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, or kill others. See "Violence" for details. Mercer says that the man he's after imports drugs, guns and people. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Due to bad audio at our screening, the following should be considered a minimum: Phrases: "Don't you f*cking know better?" "M*therf*cker," "F*ck you (guys)," "You f*cking faggot," "Shut the f*ck up," "You ever been f*cked by a knife?" "Please get the f*ck out of here," "M*therf*cker f*cked some slut," "F*ck her," "Get the f*ck out of the road," "Don't mean sh*t around here," "No sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Sh*t-load," "Eat that sh*t up," "Get your sh*t," "Bullsh*tting," "That sh*t can't happen to me," "I don't do that sh*t," "You stupid p*ssy," "He's got a wrap-sheet longer than my d*ck," "The little whore," "I'm collecting whores," "I'll be the last super-c*nt you ever see," "Kate Moss t*tties," "I bitch and moan about it," "(Say cheese) Bitch," "It's a hell of a thing," "Sucks," "Smoked" (killed), "Crappy," "Punk ass," "Bitch, is you crazy?" "Christ on a cracker," "What the hell does she want with you?" "Sucked," "Who the hell are you?" "Sit your hippie ass down," "Watch your ass," "Skippy," "Crack-heads," "I want my dog back" (followed by shooting someone) and "Wait, bitch" (followed by "Who's the bitch now?"). It's possible the film could inspire copycat vigilantism. Vitale has a tattoo on his neck, while the killers and some miscellaneous characters have various tattoos on their bodies. After killing a man, Erica showers in her clothes. A miscellaneous woman has a stud in her nostril. JUMP SCENES A man suddenly shoots his wife repeatedly in the chest. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY Due to bad audio at our screening, the following should be considered a minimum: At least 47 "f" words (6 used with "mother," 3 used sexually), 16 "s" words, 3 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck" and "pr*ck"), 3 using female ones ("c*nt" and "p*ssy"), 1 for breasts ("t*tties"), 6 asses (1 used with "hole"), 4 hells, 2 damns, 1 crap, 4 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Christ" and "My God." SEX/NUDITY Erica and David briefly but passionately kiss while standing in a park. As doctors and staff tend to Erica and David after the attack that's left them heavily bruised and bloodied, we see flashback scenes to the couple having sex, including a close-up view of him sucking on her bare breast. Other close contact is seen, including him starting to remove her panties, with the sequence going back and forth between that and the ER work, including one of them being rolled over where we see their bare butt, very bruised and bloodied. We see a flashback to a slow-motion sexual encounter between Erica and David, with his hands going up the back of her dress (or equivalent), lifting up part of it while standing, as well as them passionately kissing and nuzzling while lying down on a bed. We see the slight shape of Erica's nipples under her t-shirt. When Vitale says that a killer has a wrap-sheet "longer than my d*ck," Mercer jokingly replies that it in other words, that means the man has no priors. Two punks harass a young man, asking if he knows his pop "sucks d*ck." They then confront Erica and one asks if she's ever been "f*cked" by a knife. We see bikini clad female servers in a club (some cleavage and other skin is seen). Oral sex is implied in a car as Erica passes by it (we see a person's head going down out of the shot toward another person's crotch). Erica then encounters a man parked in a car with a young and seemingly drugged young woman in the backseat. The man asks Erica, "Hey baby, what will $50 do for you?" Erica then gets in, the man refers to the young woman as a "little whore" and says that he's collecting "whores," and then says this woman needs a mommy (suggesting he wants to see a lesbian encounter, which Erica slightly hints at before pulling her gun on this man), while other sexually related dialogue occurs. A female sketch artist tries to get a young man to describe a woman's face he earlier saw (with none of them knowing it's Erica). The young man doesn't take it seriously and comments on the woman having a nice "ass" and small but nice breasts, "Like Kate Moss' t*tties." About her husband or boyfriend, a miscellaneous woman says the "m*therf*cker f*cked some slut." SMOKING Erica smokes at least 5 times, while a handful of miscellaneous characters smoke in several scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Erica has no family. Mercer worries about a young girl who's now stuck with her stepfather who Mercer believes killed the girl's mother and more. He asks the girl if her stepdad hurt her mom, but they're interrupted by the stepfather who arrives and must be restrained by other cops. Erica awakens from a three-week coma to learn from David's mother that he's dead and that Erica missed the funeral since they didn't know when or if she'd come out of the coma. We briefly see Mercer interact with his ex-wife, and he's disappointed when she won't help him protect a young girl from her stepfather who Mercer sees as a threat. We later see Mercer burn some photos of him and his then wife. Erica is in a convenience store when the clerk's distraught and disturbed husband (or ex) walks in and shoots the woman in the chest many times, killing her (with bloody results). Erica visits David's grave and is later seen lying on the ground by it. Erica and David's wedding announcements arrive long after his death, thus causing her to grieve again. She then yells out to the nonexistent him, "You left a hole in me." A woman sends Erica a cell phone video clip of the beating that wounded her and killed David. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Vigilantism. Post-traumatic stress disorder, and how Erica responds to that (first being nervous about going outside, then becoming a vigilante). Erica saying that she needs to keep living (after her fiancé's murder), adding that she doesn't want to disappear. Erica saying it's horrible to fear the place you once loved. Erica saying that when something bad happens to you, you realize that fear has been there all along. Mercer, the other cops, and most everyone else automatically thinking the vigilante is male. Erica asks Mercer if he's ever shot anyone (he has) and whether his hands shook (they didn't, he says, the benefit of being on the right side of the law). Erica saying that one copes with personal trauma such as hers by becoming someone else, essentially a stranger. Erica tries to confess to her crimes at a police station, but miscommunication frustrates her and she leaves. Erica saying she misses who she was with David. VIOLENCE Erica and David's dog doesn't return from a tunnel in a park at night, so they go to look for him, only to find some punks holding him by his leash. The punks then surround and circle the couple, harassing them. This continues until David punches one, followed by that punk and others beating both him and Erica. They hit David repeatedly with a rod or stick of some sort, while also punching Erica and throwing her hard into the tunnel's wall. We then see her POV as one stomps down onto her face, knocking her out. We then sees clips of them being transported on gurneys and then in the ER/surgery where both are heavily bruised and bloodied all over their bodies. We later learn that David was killed by the attack. We see a dead woman with a graphic and bloody gunshot wound to her head. Mercer worries about a young girl who's now stuck with her stepfather who Mercer believes killed the girl's mother and more. He asks the girl if her stepdad hurt her mom, but they're interrupted by the stepfather who arrives and must be restrained by other cops. We see a quick flashback view of the tunnel attack violence, including kicking and Erica being thrown hard into the wall. Erica is in a convenience store when the clerk's distraught and disturbed husband (or ex) walks in and shoots the woman in the chest many times, killing her (with bloody results). Erica tries to hide, but her ringing cell phone gives up her location. The man then tries to hunt her down, as Erica tries to avoid him, leading to some cat and mouse moments in the store and its aisles. When she sees him through a shelf, she opens fire with her handgun, hitting him several times, killing him (also with bloody results on him and the floor behind him). We see a flashback to a shooting. Two punks on a subway harass a young man (calling him a "f*cking faggot") and then rob him of his personal audio device. That young man exits the car, leaving only Erica on it with the punks who aren't happy to see the way she looks at them. They then go over and harass her, with one pulling a knife and running it close along her neck. She then suddenly pulls her handgun and shoots both punks dead, with bloody results on them and inside the subway car. Erica pulls her gun on a pervert in the front seat of a parked car (while in the backseat with a drugged teen girl) after the pervert grabs the young woman's arm and causes her pain. The two women get out and walk away, followed by the man trying to drive over them, but Erica shoots the man dead through the windshield. Nevertheless, his car hits the young woman and flips her over before crashing. We then see the woman's pants-covered leg that's bloody just like her nose. Mercer waits for a person she's been told is bad (and presumably killed his wife), rides an elevator with him, and then follows him to his car on the top floor of a parking garage at night. She then confronts the man, but when she reaches for her gun, he bashes her arm with a tire iron (we later see the graphic wound on her arm). She then head-butts the man, knocking him backwards, and the next thing we see is him lying dead on some steps far below. A woman sends Erica a cell phone video clip of the beating that wounded her and killed David. Gun drawn, Erica stalks the punk who wounded her and killed David (at night, down alleys and such). She ends up shooting one punk in the eye (with bloody results), and then another in the back, but can't locate the killer moments later before he hits her on the back and then holds a tire iron or rod around her neck. Mercer then arrives and holds his gun on the punk, making him stop but also allowing Erica to aim her gun at the punk. Mercer then aims his gun at her, telling her to back down. Spoiler Alert: Mercer gives Erica his gun to use to kill a punk (she does, shooting him in the mouth), and then has her shoot him in the chest (away from the heart) with the suspect's gun, thus freeing her of suspicion. Reviewed September 10, 2007 / Posted September 14, 2007

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